BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
The troubled Mountain View Whisman School District is set to hire interim Superintendent Jeffrey Baier as its permanent leader.
Baier, 60, of Los Altos, will try to steer the district’s attention back to learning in the classroom after the last year has been filled with financial trouble and angry parents.
Baier started his career in Mountain View as an interim teacher in 1990 and became principal of Landels Elementary School. He was hired as superintendent of the Los Altos School District in 2010 and retired in 2022.
Baier will make $385,000 plus benefits, according to a copy of his proposed three-year contract.
The board, which interviewed applicants on March 22, will consider appointing Baier and approving his contract on Thursday.
Baier has been interim superintendent since Feb. 1. He took over for interim Superintendent Kevin Skelly, who was hired in November.
Before Skelly, the district was led for 10 years by Superintendent Ayinde Rudolph, who resigned after announcing the state was auditing the district for potential fraud.
Rudolph hired his former boss as his personal coach and a “master energy healer” who mediated with principals for over $700 a session.
In November, voters elected three new board members: Ana Reed, Lisa Henry and Charles DiFazio.
The new board is grappling with an employee housing project that was built on land the district doesn’t own, which is driving up rents in 123 apartments at 699 N. Shoreline Blvd.
Also on Thursday, the board will consider offering two months of free rent to the next 40 tenants who move in after April 4.
Mr. Baier, like most Superintendents, can only be as good as his Trustee oversight. When he has a Board focused on the primary role of a public school district (Learning) he will do well.
When his Board – instructs him / often Closed Session / to ‘fight a public charter school like H$#@’ – he may spend $ Millions in litigation / and loose. :{
When a Superintendent is poorly directed, then that person will perhaps start to SPEND ON HIMSELF, HIS “NATIONAL REPUTATION” and the national reputations of “District Leadership” (i.e. the staff and Board!). Such many of us in the MVWSD community thought happened with Rudolph/Conley [ran for council]/ Blakely.
We all hope the best (I think, at least I do) for Baier as Superintendent for the next 3 years.